St. Louis Encephalitis virus mosquito vectors dynamics in threedifferent environments in relation to remotely sensed environmentalconditions

BATALLAN, P. GONZALO; ESTALLO ELIZABET L.; FLORES FERNANDO S.; SARTOR PAOLO; CONTIGIANI MARTA S.; ALMIRÓN WALTER R.

ACTA TROPICA

ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV

Lugar: Amsterdam; Año: 2015 vol. 146 p. 53 - 59

0001-706X

In Argentina the St. Louis Encephalitis virus (SLEV) is an endemic and widely distributed pathogen trans-mitted by the cosmopolitan mosquito Culex quinquefasciatus. During two outbreaks in Córdoba city, in2005 and 2010, Culex interfor was also found infected, but its role as vector of SLEV is poorly known.This mosquito species is distributed from central Argentina to southern Brazil. The primary aim of thisstudy was to analyze the population dynamic of Cx. interfor and Cx. quinquefasciatus in three differentenvironments (urban, suburban and non-urban) in relation to remotely sensed environmental data forvegetation (NDVI and NDWI) and temperature (brightness temperature). Cx. quinquefasciatus and Cx.interfor were found at the three sampled sites, being both the most abundant Culex species, with peaks inearly and midsummer. Temporal distribution patterns of both mosquito species were highly correlatedin a non-urban area of high SLEV risk transmission. Cx. quinquefasciatus and Cx. interfor were associatedwith the most urbanized site and the non-urban environment, respectively; high significant correlationswere detected between vegetation indices and abundance of both mosquito species confirming theseassociations. These data provide a foundation for building density maps of these two SLEV mosquitovectors using remotely sensed data to help inform vector control programs.